If I had to describe myself in three words, I'd probably go with "comic book nerd". The mythologies and social commentaries that can be found in comics have enraptured me for as long as I've been able to read. While other kids spent their summers playing video games and watching TV, I preferred to patrol the streets of Gotham with Batman and fight epic battles with the Incredible Hulk. I was fairly small for my age growing up. I didn't have my first serious growth spurt until 11th grade, so the idea of ordinary people getting super powers appealed to me. Of course, that idea isn't new. In fact, if we go back to the Tang dynasty in ancient China (circa. 9th - 10th century A.D.) we find that people had very similar desires. In those days superstition was the norm, and it was common for "enlightened" masters to claim that they had supernatural powers. Firewalking, going days without sleep, and summoning spirits were some of the
by Sensei Alex Kakuyo